Migrants boost UK population by 1.8million... and leading thinktank insists they need extra rights

Immigration has swollen the population of Britain by 1.8million since Labour came to power, according to Government statistics.

Ministers are braced for new demands for a cap on the number of arrivals from overseas in the wake of the figures.

These will show that net migration - the number of people arriving in Britain, minus those leaving - hit 200,000 last year.

Romanian immigrants queue outside the British Embassy in Bucharest awaiting UK work visas (file photo). New figures will show that net migration hit 200,000 last year

It will take the total increase in population attributable to net migration to around 1.82m in 11 years. The level of net migration, which stood at less than 50,000 a year in 1997, has increased four-fold since Labour was elected.

The figures from the Office of National Statistics, to be released tomorrow alongside a raft of Home Office immigration statistics, will leave Britain firmly on course to have a population of 70million by 2031.

New immigration minister Phil Woolas has insisted the 70million milestone will not be reached.

The new ONS net migration total is an increase on 2006, when the figure was 190,000.

Shadow Home Secretary Dominic Grieve said: 'These estimated figures betray a Labour Government that is not in control of immigration policy. Immigration can be of real benefit to the country but only if it is properly controlled.

Immigration minister Phil Woolas has insisted that Britain's population will not reach the 70million milestone

Yesterday, an international organisation, which receives funding of £25million a year from British taxpayers, demanded increased rights for migrants living here during the economic downturn.

The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development said the Government should try to employ more migrants in the public sector.

It also suggested lower taxes and possible subsidies for lowskilled jobs, which migrant workers often fill.

Martine Durand, from the OECD, said 'immigrants are the most vulnerable in times of economic crisis'.

The OECD added that immigration was unlikely to go down because the situation in migrants' home countries would also be very tough.

Sir Andrew Green, chairman of Migrationwatch UK, said: 'This report is completely irrelevant to Britain which does not have any shortage of workers. On the contrary, unemployment is heading for two million, possibly even three million.

'It is amazing that the OECD should produce such a crass report. They are clearly completely out of touch with the real world.'

Brussels is expected to call for the UK to lift restrictions on the rights of Romanians and Bulgarians to work in freely in this country.

The Home Office has until the end of the year to make a decision on whether to keep the current limit of around 20,000 work permits in place.

Vladimir Spidla, EU commissioner for employment, is to publish a report underlining that every EU worker has the 'fundamental right' to migrate to Britain.

A Home Office spokesman said the Government, through its new points based immigration system, was committed to ensuring that 'only those with the skills we need - and no more - can come here to work and study'.

She added: 'The system is flexible, allowing us to raise and lower the bar according to the needs of the labour market.'